Dishwasher



Dec. 19, 1939. c. WALKER 2,184,204

DISHWASHER Filed July 21, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J6 25 JJ 64 Charles' 50a lkr' INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 19, 1939. c. WALKER 2,184,204

DISHWASHER Filed July 21, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 19, 1939 PATENT OFFICE DISHWASHER Charles Walker, Fayetteville, N. 0.

Application June 21, 1938, Serial No. 214,990

4 Claims.

This invention relates to dishwashers and has for its principal object to improve generally upon apparatus or machines of this character.

A more specific object is to produce a simple, compact and inexpensive yet durable, practical and highly efiicient. construction and arrangement of apparatus in which dishes are quickly and thoroughly cleansed.

Another particular object is to provide a more effective water control in the general soaping and rinsing operations.

With the foregoing and other more specific objects and advantages to be attained, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in the general structural assembly and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described and set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the complete machine assembly;

Figure 2 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4: is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating one of the spray whirler elements;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan View, showing the correlation of the water supply connection to the soap container; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modification of one of the spray elements.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates a hollow container constituting the main body of the machine, said container, as shown, being of generally cylindrical form and provided with a fiat bottom II having a central drain opening l2 therein. Located within the container H) is a dish rack, designated generally by the numeral l3, said rack preferably comprising, as shown, a cylindrical outer cage wall [4 of open mesh wire fabric and an annular bottom I5 of similar fabric. Extending upwardly from the central opening in the bottom i5 is a cylindrical column 06, also of open mesh wire fabric.

The bottom l5 of the dish rack is provided with a supporting under frame I! in the form of a spider, the arms of which radiate from a central hub portion ill from the under side of which latter depends an axial stud member l9 constituting a part of a ball bearing by means of which the dish rack is rotatably mounted on a base frame or stand 2|, said stand having foot members 22 whereby it is supported on the bottom ll of the container ID at a slight elevation thereabove.

Hingedly mounted, as at 23, on the container I0, is a chambered dome, designated generally by the numeral 24, said dome constituting a top closure for said container Ill. shown, is provided with a flat bottom plate 25 which is provided throughout with a multiplicity of apertures 26 through which the water or cleansing fluid from the chamber 21 is discharged in whirling jets into the container l0 as will be presently more fully described. Said bottom plate 25 is provided with a central opening 28 about which is a depending externally screw threaded collar 29 to which is attached a coupling 30 carrying a flexible tube 3| which extends downwardly in the central column it of the dish rack and is provided at its lower end with a hollow spray head 32, said spray head being of generally semi-spherical form and having a flat top wall 33 provided with an annular series of jet orifices 34 for directing the spray upwardly in opposition to the downwardly directed spray from said jet openings 26 in the dome plate 25.

In order to impart a whirling motion to the jets from the respective orifices 26 and 34, the several orifices are covered by crowned plates 35 to form respective chambers over each orifice, said plates having a plurality of inclined or tangentially arranged orifices 36 so that the water or washing fluid from either the dome chamber 2! or the spray head 32 at the lower end of the flexible tube 3| is forced into the respective chambers beneath said crowned plates 35 with a rotary motion which is continued and imparted to the streams discharged vertically downward from the several openings 26 and likewise upwardly from the openings 34. In this way, while the several jets are directed forcibly in a general direction perpendicular with respect to the bottom plate 25 of the dome 24 and the annular top plate 33 of the spray head 32, due to the pressure of the fluid in the dome chamber 21 and the spray head 32, there is at the same time a spreading or expanding effect in each jet together with rotative movement thereof. Therefore, inasmuch as there are a multiplicity of the jet orifices 26 in sufliciently close relation to each other, the several whirling and spreading jets merge radially with each other so as to cover the full transverse area of the annular dish-holding compartment of the open wire mesh rack I 3, and at the same time there is a counteracting and commingling efiect The dome, as

of the upwardly directed jets from the annular series of orifices 34 in the spray head 32 of the tube 3| which is located in the central column I6 of the dish rack l3 near the bottom thereof. In this connection, it is also noted that by providing the axial antifriction bearing for the dish rack |3 on the base frame 2| at the bottom of the con tainer l and obviously placing the dishes in proper angular relation and balancing the load thereof within the annular rack cage, the loaded cage is caused to revolve by the action of the jets directed vertically downward, though whirling axially, from the orifices 25 against the dishes in the rack during the washing operation, it being, of course, understood that the drain outlet l2 at the bottom of the container I0 is open all the while. It is here further noted that the water or washing fluid is supplied to the chamber 21 in the dome 24 under a given high pressure and 'the requisite force of the jets from the orifices 26 and 34 is obtained by properly proportioning said orifices restrictedly; and for indicating the fluid pressure in the dome chamber 21 a suitable gauge 31 is provided at the top of the dome, while for the purpose of normally maintaining the fluid supply under pressure in said dome chamber 21, yet permitting drainage of the chamber when desired or necessary, a check valve 38 is provided for a drain opening 39 in the bottom plate 25 of the dome, said valve having a stem 4|! extended through a guide tube 4| which is provided with a suitable packing gland 42, the stem having a manipulating knob 43 on its outer end.

Within the dome chamber 21 is a soap chamber 44, said chamber, as shown, being provided in a generally cylindrical body shell 45 having an annular flange 46 at its outer end which is bolted, as at 41, on the adjacent top portion of the dome 24 about a central opening through which the cylindrical shell portion 45 is suspended within the upper portion of the chamber 21. Suspended in the soap chamber 44 from an opening48 in the top of the shell 45 near one side thereof, is a cylindrical screen or cage 49 for holding the soap, said top opening 49 being closed by an air-tight cap 50. holding screen or cage 49 extends to near the bottom of the cylindrical shell 45 and in the bottom portion immediately beneath said screen or cage 49 is an opening which is normally closed by a spring-pressed downwardly opening check valve 52.

Extending verticallythrough the soap chamber shell 45, near the side thereof diametrically opposite the soap'holding screen or cage 49, is a tube 53 whose opposite end portions extend beyond the top and bottom, respectively, of the shell 45, the lower end of said tube 53 being closed, as at 54, the upper end of said tube being open and having an elbow coupling 55 attached thereto, said elbow coupling 55 affording a communi-' -cable connection between said tube 53 and a water supply pipe 55, which latt'er obviously has a flexible hose connection 51 with a faucet or tap (not shown) from a source of water supply under pressure.

In the tube 53 is a reciprocatory tubular valve member 58 having a stem 59 at its upper end working through a packing gland 60 on the-elbow coupling 55, said stem 59 having a manipulating knob 6| on its outer end. Substantially mid-way between the ends of the tubular valve member 58, as shown, said member is provided with a longitudinal series of apertures 52 which are brought into register with a corresponding The soap series of apertures 63 provided in the tube 59 when said valve member is moved to one of its longitudinal positions, and said valve member 55 of said tube 53 when the valve member is moved of the washing fluid from the orifices 25 whereby to effect a rotation of the loaded rack during the washing operation and thereby eflect a more rapid and thorough cleansing of the articles.

At the beginning of the washing operation, the dome-like cover being, of course, in closed position, as shown in Figure 1, the valve element 54 is adjusted endwise to bring the ports 52 and 53 into registration and closing the ports 34 and 65 whereby to establish communication between the water supply pipe 55 and the soap chamber 44. The water being under pressure, the check valve 52 is opened to permit the passage of the soapy water from said chamber 44 into the dome chamber 21 and as the pressure of the soapy solution is built up in said dome chamber 21 the fluid is forced out through the apertures 35 in the crowned covers 35 of the respective jet openings 26 with a whirling motion which effects a corresponding axial rotation of the streams from said jet orifices and a substantial expansion thereof whereby the several streams are merged into an increased area of coverage in precipitation. At the same time counteracting jets of the rected jets from the opening 26 in the bottom of the dome 24.

After the washing operation has been sufliciently carried on with the soapy solution, the valve elements 58 is moved to its reversed longitudinal position so as to close the ports 52 and 63 and bring in the ports 64 and 35 into register so that communication between the supply pipe 56 and soap chamber 44 is cut off and communication is established directly between said pipe 55 and the dome chamber 21, whereby the clear water is then supplied through the jet orifices 25 and 34 and continued until the articles in the rack l3 have been thoroughly rinsed, and during which time the valve 52 of the soap chamber is held closed-by its spring element and the pressure within the dome chamber 21 outside of the cylindrical shell 45 of the soap chamber.

- Instead of providing the jet orifices 25 in the bottom plate 25 of the dome 24 with the peculiarly apertured crown plates 35, as shown in of a cap member 68 having a relatively smaller aperture 69, or a series of such apertures therein, as illustrated in Figure 6, and said apertures 69 may be disposed at axial inclinations so as to impart a whirling motion to the jets of the liquid discharged therefrom. It is further obvious that considerable other modifications may be made in the general structure and in the respective parts thereof within the spirt and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the drawings.

What is claimed is:

1. A dishwasher comprising a hollow container casing, a removable open work article supporting rack in said container casing, and a top closure for said container casing, said closure comprising a chambered dome having a multiplicity of jet orifices in its bottom, means associated with said orifices for causing a whirling motion to the jets from said orifices, a soap container in the dome chamber, and valve control means for supplying water under pressure selectively to the dome chamber direct or through the soap chamber, at will.

2. In a dishwasher, a hollow container casing, an open work article supporting rack mounted rotatably in said container casing, and a washing fluid supply and control unit, said unit comprising a chambered dome constituting a top closure for the container casing, said dome having a multiplicity of jet openings in its bottom and a central depending tubular extension provided with a spray head at its lower end, the spray head having provision for directing jets upwardly in counteracting relation to the jets from the orifices in the bottom of the dome, a soap container within the dome chamber, and valve control means for supplying water under pressure either directly to the dome chamber or to said chamber through the soap container, at will.

3. In a dishwasher, a cylindrical container casing, having a drain opening in the bottom thereof, a removable article supporting rack rotatably mounted in said container casing, said rack including a supporting stand and a cylindrical open work cage having an axial antifriction bearing upon said stand and a central open work tubular core column, and a washing fluid supply and control unit constituting a top closure for said container casing, said unit comprising a chambered dome having a flat bottom covering the container casing, said bottom being provided with a multiplicity of jet apertures with associated means for axially whirling the jets downwardly from said apertures, the dome bottom also having a flexible tubular extension depending centrally therefrom into the central tubular column of said article supporting rack, a spray head at the lower end of said flexible tubular extension having provision for directing axially whirling jets upwardly in counteracting relation to the jets from the dome bottom, a soap container within the dome chamber, and valve control means for supplying water under pressure either directly to the dome chamber or to said chamber through the soap container, at will.

l. In a dishwasher, a hollow container casing having an open work dish rack therein, and a top closure for said container casing comprising a chambered dome, said dome having a generally fiat bottom covering the container casing, the bottom having a multiplicity of jet orifices with provision for imparting a whirling motion to the jets downwardly from said orifices and a depending tubular extension having provision for whirling and directing jets upwardly in counteracting relation to said dome bottom jets, a soap chamber comprising a hollow shell supported in the upper portion of the dome chamber and having a soap holding cage therein, said soap chamber shell having an opening for communication with the dome chamber, said opening being normally closed by a check valve under the reactive efiect of an applied spring element and the pressure in the dome chamber, and water supply means including a tube extending through said soap chamber shell, said tube projecting at its inner end into the dome chamber and being closed to communication with said dome chamber except through an orifice in its cylindrical wall, the outer end of said tube being communicably connected to a source of water under pressure, the cylindrical wall of said tube within the soap chamber being apertured, and a tubular valve element fitted to reciprocate longitudinally in said water supply tube extending through the soap chamber, said valve element having apertures to register alternately with the apertures of said water supply tube whereby to selectively pass the water either directly to the dome chamber or to said chamber through said soap chamber.

CHARLES WALKER. 

